Method of preparing intravenous feeding containers

ABSTRACT

Sterile water in a drum communicates through a tube with a flexible container body in which a dry water soluble intravenous feeding material has been placed, the interior of an initially deflated flexible bag in the drum being subjected to air pressure to force sterile water in the drum and externally of the flexible bag through the tube into the flexible container body to contact the water soluble material and form an intravenous feeding solution in the container body.

United States Patent 1 Gardner H IMarch 13, 1973 METHOD OF PREPARING [56] References Cited INTRAVENOUS FEEDING UNITED STATES PATENTS CONTAINERS Inventor: Newe J h G S 3,291,348 Cl'llblfit et al Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles,

Calif 90049 jrimary Exgmznerd-KHoustl(m S. Bell, Jr.

ttorne ernar me e 22 Filed: Sept. 7, 1971 y g 211 App]. No.: 178,008 ABSTRACT 32:3: P1235212203125251223;Zifiifiiiffil;$23? Division of 5611 g- 1969', Pat. N soluble intravenous feeding material has been placed, the interior of an initiall deflated flexible bag in the y drum being subjected to air pressure to force sterile [52] US. Cl ..l4l/9 water in the drum and externally of the flexible bag z lg gf through the tube into the flexible container body to 1e 0 care contact the water soluble material and form an intravenous feeding solution in the container body.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures METHOD OF PREPARING INTRAVENOUS FEEDING CONTAINERS The present invention is a division of application Ser. No. 846,777, filed Aug. 1, 1969, for Intravenous Feeding Container and Method of Preparing the Same, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,697.

In the treatment of patients for various ailments and injuries, it is the practice to intravenously feed the patient an aqueous solution containing salt, glucose, or

protein, or a combination thereof. Such practice involves the problem of storage of the solution in bottles,

generally of one liter capacity.

In use, the bottle is hung in an elevated position close to the patient, and the solution is fed to the patient through a flexible tube leading to a needle inserted into a vein of the patient.

The storage of bottles of intravenous feeding solutions in hospitals, and particularly military field hospitals, or other remote locations, requires substantial storage space. In addition, there is the ever present danger of breakage of the bottles and loss of the feeding solution.

In order to avoid these problems, the invention of the above U.S. No. 3,648,697 provides a receptable or container composed of flexible plastic material capable of storage in a flat condition, thereby effecting a substantial saving in the required storage space, as well as simplifying delivery of the containers or receptacles to remote locations.

The container or receptacle has the necessary quantity of water soluble material therein which, when mixed with sterile water, will provide the desired volume of intravenous feeding solution. Since the container or receptacle is composed of flexible or plastic material, it is susceptible of storage in a small space, and, also, the receptacle or container cannot be readily damaged. The receptacle or container is free from the danger of breakage even if it should be inadvertently dropped or knocked down when in use. Thus, there is the reduced danger of the loss of intravenous solution as well as the elimination of the danger of broken bottle fragments.

More particularly, the invention of the above U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,697, provides a plastic or other resilient container or receptacle containing a quantity of water soluble materials adapted, when mixed with sterile water, to provide a quantity of intravenous feeding solution, wherein the receptacle contains a check valve cooperable with the container outlet to form a seal when the container or receptacle is emptied during use. Such a construction avoids the necessity of an attendants vigil to prevent emptying of the usual intravenous feeding bottle and the potential passage of air from the receptacle into a patient's vein.

In the use of the flexible container or receptacle, it is adapted to be charged with sterile water from a convenient source of sterile water, such as the discharge from a water sterilizing plant, or more particularly, from a storage drum of sterile water. In the use of a storage drum to supply sterile water to the flexible intravenous feeding container, the container is adapted, by the utilization of a rubber or rubber-like stopper, to have a needle injected into the discharge end of the container, the needle being in fluid communication with a tube leading into the sterile water drum. Sterile water is displaced from the drum through the tube and into the intravenous feeding container by the application of air under pressure into a flexible sack or bag contained in the drum.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and V has other purposes which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of a form in which it may be embodiedfThis form is shown in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. It and its method of use will now be described in detail, for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention; but is is tobe understood that such detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation,with a portion broken away, illustrating an intravenous feeding container made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation, with parts broken away, illustrating the intravenous solution in the container and further illustrating the function of the buoyant check valve; and

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of theintravenous feeding container and a sterile water supply drum, a portion of which is broken away, for filling the container.

As seen in the drawings, an intravenous feeding receptable or container C is in the form of a generally rectangular resilient, or flexible plastic, hollow body having a tab 1 at one end provided with an opening 2 for hanging the container C from the usual intravenous feeding bottle support (not shown), which is normally composed of a stand provided with a hook for suspending the intravenous bottle in inverted positionadjacent to a patient. At its other end, the container C has a neck 3 providing a discharge opening 4. A stopper 5 closes the discharge opening 4, this stopper being composed of resilient or rubber-like material adapted to be pierced by a hollow needle. The body portion 6 of the container C may be of any desired configuration, but, within the purview of the present invention, it is composed of a suitable, flexible plastic material, enabling it to be stored in a flat condition, much in the manner of a rubber or rubber-like hot water bottle.

Within the container C is a ball check valve 7 adapted to form a sea] in the throat 8 of the neck 3 of the container C, the throat having a valve seat portion. Also within the container is a quantity of water soluble material 9, which may comprise such dry nutrients, in powder or granular form, as glucose, protein or salt, or a combination thereof, adapted when contacted by sterile water of the desired volume to provide the desired quantity and concentration of intravenous feeding solution.

As seen in FIG. 2, a tube 10 is provided with a hollow needle 11 adapted to be inserted through the stopper '5 of the container C so as to conduct sterile water into the container and form the desired solution. The ball check valve 7 is buoyant in the solution and will float thereon until, in use, the ball check valve seats in the throat 8 in the neck 3 of the container C as shown in broken lines, with a small quantity of liquid still present in the throat 8.

The neck 3 of the container is elongated so that the opening 4 is of sufficient length to accommodate a needle, such as the needle 11, without contact between the ball check valve 7 and the inner end of theneedle 11 when the valve is seated. In this connection it will be understood that in the intravenous feeding of a patient, a tube, such as the tube having a needle, such asthe needle 11, is employed to conduct the intravenous solution from the container C to the patients vein. Thus, with the container C suspended by the tab 1, the ball check valve 7 will seat in the throat 8 of the 846,777, and in the present application, comprises not only a flexible intravenous feeding container C having therein a quantity of water soluble intravenous feeding material, initially occupying a small volume in the condischarge neck 3 of the container when the container is mix with the dry intravenous feeding material 9 in the.

latter and form the desired intravenous feeding solution. In order to displace the sterile water from the drum 14 through the tube 10, the drum 14 has a flexi ble bag or sack 16 in its upper portion adapted to be supplied with air under pressure through a tube 17 which leads through an appropriate fitting 18 in the top 13 of the drum. As the bag 16 is inflated by the air, it will displace the sterile water 15 through the tube 10 and into the container C. The lower'end of the tube 10 is preferably located closely adjacent to the bottom of the drum, so that substantially all of the water in the drum can be forced therefrom.

' As an example, the drum 14 may contain sufficient sterile water to fill fifty containers C. If the facility at which the containers C are to be filled has a sterile water plant, then, of course, there is no need for the drum 14, since the container can be filled directly from the plant, the water flowing through the tube 10. However, containers or receptacles C, together with a full drum 14, may be supplied to remote locations, such as a field hospital in a war zone, to facilitate the intravenous feeding of patients in such an environment. It is also apparent that the delivery of a supply of conventional intravenous feeding bottles may be difficult to accomplish in such locations.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention defined in the parent application, Ser. No.

tainer, enabling it to be stored in a flat condition, but also includes the method of preparing intravenous feeding containers comprising the steps of connecting a flexible intravenous feeding container having a quantity of intravenous feed material therein to a source of sterile water, and supplying from said source to the container a quantity of the sterile water to provide in the container the desired quantity of intravenous feed-- ing solution when the dry soluble material is contacted by the sterile water, the container then being disconnected from the source.

I claim:

1. The method of preparing intravenous feeding containers comprising: placing in a flexible container body a uantity of ,dry water soluble intravenous feeding ma erial, said container body having an outlet provide with a stopper, providing a drum containing sterile water, with one end portion of a tube extending into said water, a.hollow needle secured to the other end portion of the tube and extending through said stopper, and subjecting the interior of said drum to air pressure to force said water through the tube and needle into said container body to contact said water soluble material and form an intravenous feeding solution.

2. The method as defined in claim 1; said drum having an initially deflated flexible bag therein, said air pressure being supplied to the interior of said bag to inflate the same and thereby force the water from said drum.

3. The method as defined in claim 1; said tube extending to the lower end of the drum to enable said air pressure to force substantially all of the sterile water from the drum.

4. The method as defined in claim 1; said tube extending to the lower end of the drum; said drum having an initially deflated flexible bag therein, said air pressure being supplied to the interior of said bag to inflate the same and thereby force the water from said drum, said bag being inflatable to such extent as to enable said air pressure to force substantially all of the sterile water from the drum. 

1. The method of preparing intravenous feeding containers comprising: placing in a flexible container body a quantity of dry water soluble intravenous feeding material, said container body having an outlet provided with a stopper, providing a drum containing sterile water, with one end portion of a tube extending into said water, a hollow needle secured to the other end portion of the tube and extending through said stopper, and subjecting the interior of said drum to air pressure to force said water through the tube and needle into said container body to contact said water soluble material and form an intravenous feeding solution.
 1. The method of preparing intravenous feeding containers comprising: placing in a flexible container body a quantity of dry water soluble intravenous feeding material, said container body having an outlet provided with a stopper, providing a drum containing sterile water, with one end portion of a tube extending into said water, a hollow needle secured to the other end portion of the tube and extending through said stopper, and subjecting the interior of said drum to air pressure to force said water through the tube and needle into said container body to contact said water soluble material and form an intravenous feeding solution.
 2. The method as defined in claim 1; said drum having an initially deflated flexible bag therein, said air pressure being supplied to the interior of said bag to inflate the same and thereby force the water from said drum.
 3. The method as defined in claim 1; said tube extending to the lower end of the drum to enable said air pressure to force substantially all of the sterile water from the drum. 